Signaling device for vehicles



APPLICATION FILED DEC. 3l, |917.

Patented Aug. 3i

i926@ *SHEETS-SHEET 2.'

INYENTER;

I To all 107mm it may concern Be it known that I, PETER J. O. MUELLER, a citizen of the United States, a resident of Peoria, inthe county of Peoria and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Im* provements in Signaling Devices for` Vehicles, of which the followingis a specification.

. `My invention relates to signaling devices.

for vehicles, and particularlyto direction indicating means for use on automobiles and 4 other motor vehicles.

The principal object of this invention is the provision of means on the forward part of the car to indicate thedirection in which the operator intends to turn, and also means .onthe rear end ofthe vehicle to make the 'same' indications. v

Further objects include improvements inA details of construction` and arrangement, whereby a simple and efectivemechanism of the character described, is provided.v

i To the accomplishment of the foregoing and suchyothe'r objects as may hereinafter appear, my invention consists in the combination, construction and-' arrangement of my inventive idea'.

In the drawings, A Figure 1 represents an elevational view of the inside of a motor vehicle showing the signaling means'for the front portion of the vehicle, the right hand indicator being in an extended position;

y' Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section through-- one of the indicating means for the front of the car, disclosing the Voperating mechanism,

.a and contacts forcompleting the electric circuits, the indicator being in a retracted or non-extended position;

X Fig. 3 is a side elevation of one of the indicating means, the indicator being shown inan extended or indicating position, part' ofthe cover being removed, so as to. dis'- close the operatie'nof the contacts;

. Fig. 4 is a horizontal cross section through one of the indicatingdevices, showing the.

gearingvfor operating the indicator;

' Specification of Letters Patent.

PETER J. 0. MUELLER, OF PEVORIA, ILLINOIS.

SIGNALING DEVICE FOR VEHICLES.

y Patentednug. 31, 1926.

l Application filed December 31, 1917. Serial No. 209,747.

Fig; 5 is a detail View of a movable contact for permitting the light in the indicator to be illuminated or not, as desired.

Fig. 6 is an elevation of the signal for the rear of the vehicle, the normal position .being indicated in full lines and one indic ating position being indicated in dotted lines;

Fig. 7 is a rear'end member of the same showing the operating mechanism for turning the rear indicator;

Fig. 8 is ahorizontal section taken'on line 8 8 of Fig. 6, and r F ig. 9 is a wiringdiagram of the rear signal control. Referring to the drawings and`particularly to Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, the numeral 1 designates the body of the car, in the front portion of which is mounted the signaling means for the forward'part of the car. Each signaling means comprises the casing 2 mounted in a suitable convenient position,

containing the operating means and having an aperture in its end through which the indicator 4 may be extended and retracted. This indicator 4 is in the form of an arm, having the arrow head 5 inclosed with a `suitable transparent material, and having the bulb or light 6 mounted therein, the wires 'from which, extend to the resilient contact 7 on the rear of the arm. Additional resilient contacts 8 -are Imounted on.

the rear of the arm for a purpose to be herewith the rack 9'whichis engaged by the gear wheel 10, mounted on shaft 11V and driven 'by pinion 12, which meshes with the' driving gear wheel 13 on actuating shaft 14, this shaft being rotated by the operator manipulating'the button 15. Spring 16 on shaft -14 normally holds the gear 13 in mesh with pinion 12 so.that .when the buttonv15 is rotated in theproper direction, the indicating arm 4 will -be moved to an extended position. This will cause' the tension of spring 17 on shaft 11, to increase so that when the operatordesires, he will pull the button 15,

outwardly, disengaging the gear 13. from pinion 12 so that gear 10 will be `rotated under'the influence o'f the vspring 17 'to return the arm 4 to its retractedand non-indicating position. v

These indicating means are duplicates one of the other,lv but are arranged so as to prol ject or'extend the arms 4in opposite direc- 90 inafter described. This arm 4 i's provided tions, as shown in Fig. 1. Uf course, it is to be understood that the means shown for operating the indicating arm and returning it to itsnon-indicating position, but one lform of a number which may be utilized to 'construction 1S, about which is rotatably mounted the casing 19, having the antifriction bearings Q0 and 21, shown-particularly in Fig. S. This casing 1S) is cupshaped in form to embrace the tail light and has the two extending portions 22, which are hollow, having the traiisparent front portions 23, which are marked in the form of the headand tail of an arrow, The side portions of the tail light reflector and casing are cut away las at 24; so as to permit the illumination of the two extending portions 22.

The mechanism is bracket Q5 which has the upstanding arm to support 'the tail light. rl`he rear extension l27 of the casing 19, is journalcd on the antifriction bearings 21 and. isprovided with the operating gear or pinion 28, which is in meslrwith the racks Q9 formed or attached to the armatures of electro-magnets &0. lt is therefore seen that when. one or the other of the magnets 30 is energized, the gear 28 will be rotated. in one direction which will rotate the casing 19, so that the arrow indicating thereon will pointin the direction the operator intends to turn. The racks 29 slide in guides 31. The .spring member 32 engages in aperture 33 in the gear 28 to normally hold the parts in a neutral position, as indicated in full lines in Figs. G and 7.

This rear indicator is 'operated in coincidence witlrthe front indicators electrically, by means of therear contact meinbers 8. These contact members S engage the terminals 3d mounted in the casing@ when the arin l is in its extended position, and therefore7 if the right hand arrow is extended', the varrow'in the rear will be turned tothe right and vice versa.

As it is not necessary to use any light in supported on the O Phe fori*ardindicators during the day time, the contact 35 is movable, being4 actuated by the arm 36 so that it is readily movable by the operator-into and out of engaging position of the contact 7.

lt is therefore seen that I have provided very simple and effective construction for operating indicators on the front of the vehicle and on the rear thereof, to signal to any one in front of the vehicle or in the rear.

ing, a pinion on the shaft, a gear on the shaft in mesh-with said rack teeth, aspringil coiled on the shaft and connected to the .gear and casing so as to. be wound upon movement of the gear in one direction, a second shaft slidable in the 'casing7 a gear on the second shaft in mesh with said pinion,

tensioning the turnable means whereby upon turning of the latter the spring means will have energy stored therein, and combined slidable and rotatable means for operating the turnable means upon rotation thereof and upon sliding thereof to 'be disengaged from the turnable mea-ns so as to* render the latter subject to the infiuence of the energy stored-in said spring means.v y

3. ln a vehicle signal, a casing, a signal arm movable relative to the casing, a rotatable actuating member associated with said arm, a combined shdable and rotatable 4member for actuating the actuating member upon rotation and disengageable from the actuating member upon sliding thereof, and means for efecting movement of the arm upon sliding of said combined means. ln witness whereof l have hereunto aliixed my hand this 22nd day ofDecember, 1917.

PETER J. -MUELLER- 

